“The support Rethink gave me really helped me” – Sam’s story

After juggling many different pressures at once, Sam started to experience delusions and false beliefs. Through our Plymouth Mental Health Support service, Sam was able to find a helpful care plan, reconnect socially and make positive changes to his life.

My first experiences with my condition were delusions, false beliefs and talking to myself. It felt very scary at first. I wasn’t in control of my mind. This was mainly due to pressures at work, the move from university to a new location and not being able to meet the demands that it set on me.

It was a very slow process. I was given a period of counselling by my employer which really helped. I was discharged from work and this was a very painful period for me, as I had no support except for my GP.

My GP eventually intervened and I was initially given a home treatment team for six weeks, then transferred to a crisis management team. I was there for three years and doing well. It was suggested that I go to Rethink Mental Illness afterwards when the crisis management team came to an end.

As I was doing well, it was decided to take a positive risk and lower my dose to a level where there was no evidence that it made a difference. This was when I ran into trouble again and ended up in A&E. 

I was on a low dose of my medication and out of mental health services when I first encountered Rethink. Rethink really helped to get me back in the NHS and get my dose changed to a higher level. This really helped with my recovery.

Rethink played a key role in getting me a psychiatrist, a support worker again and back into mental health services. They also played a key role in getting me moved into the support group from the work related group with Job Centre Plus.

The support Rethink gave me really helped me. The trips really got me out and about in my community. I found the pool group very helpful and Rethink got me into voluntary work in a local charity shop. This probably played the biggest role in my recovery, as it got me empowered and included in society again. It provided a great way to learn new skills and meet new people.

I retrained through the NVQ scheme and undertook an NVQ Level 2 in Retail skills. This really helped me to learn new skills and help train me up for a new job. I’ve been volunteering now for seven years and now help train others up. I really enjoy volunteering and it helped me when my support from Rethink came to an end.

I still attend the Rethink Social Group which has really helped me with social skills and meeting new friends. I felt that the volunteering work played a pivotal role in my recovery and has helped keep me stable now. Volunteering has given me a sense of empowerment and inclusion in society. I find it a very good coping mechanism along with reading and listening to the radio.